I'd hiked from Baldy to Ptarmigan Valley before, but never up Ptarmigan. Going this direction, you get good mountain views once you're out of the forest, which takes up the first couple of miles. When the snow is deep enough, which it hasn't been for the past couple of years, this trail is open to snowmachines. But on this bright, sunny Saturday, we saw only three other hikers and felt like we had the valley to ourselves. We hiked as far as the bridge below where an old ski resort used to be--the original purpose of the road that leads up the valley.
Distance one way: about 4.5 miles
Distance one way: about 4.5 miles